The Haunted Fort In New York Both History Buffs And Ghost Hunters Will Love
By Christy Articola|Published October 06, 2022
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Christy Articola
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Christy Articola has lived in Colorado since 2013 and considers herself a Centennial State enthusiast and expert through and through. She's based in Denver metro, but over the past decade, she has traveled to every corner, river, village, park, town, and city in the state and continues to explore it deeper and further whenever she can. Christy simply can't get enough of Colorado, and loves sharing all her adventures with you through Only In Your State! She graduated with a degree in journalism from Fordham University and is thrilled to be working as a full time travel writer for this and other sites - she finally found her perfect niche - and is so grateful for that.
If you like history or haunted places or both, then you’re going to love a visit to Fort Ontario State Historic Site in Oswego. This fort has a very interesting history and many people – both soldiers and civilians – died on this property long ago. As a result it’s one of the most haunted places in New York. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, you’ll find this place very interesting. Read on to learn more about it.
Fort Ontario has a very interesting history. The fort that you can visit today is the fourth incarnation of this fort. It was destroyed and rebuilt three times. Initially, this fort was built by the British in 1755 during the French and Indian War. It was built to protect the eastern end of Lake Ontario.
It was first destroyed by the French in 1756. The British rebuilt it in 1759. Later, American revolutionaries destroyed it in 1778 after the British abandoned it. The British came back and rebuilt it again in 1782.
Later, in the War of 1812, the British destroyed it themselves in 1814. It wasn't until the Civil War that it was rebuilt yet again. At that time, Union soliders reconstructed it in case the British decided to help the Confederacy by attacking through Canada. If that had happened, it would have been crucial to have a fort on this northern border.
Later, this fort was used as a military hospital in WWI, and it was a home for Jewish refugees during WWII. Today, it's no longer an active fort, but it's sometimes used for Army Reserve training. It's primarily a historical attraction today and it's a great place to learn about American history.
Some good things have happened at Fort Ontario over the past two and a half centuries, but as you might imagine based on the fort's tumultuous history, even more bad things have happened here. Many people died here each time this fort was destroyed.
There have been a wide variety of ghost and paranormal sightings at Fort Ontario. Many visitors and staff say that they have seen orbs or have heard strange sounds - even during the daytime. You don't hear much about spirits being active during the day, but at Fort Ontario, daytime paranormal activity is common.
This state historic site is open to the public daily. You can walk the grounds and learn about its history in person, and you can even do a little daytime ghost hunting yourself.
Have you visited Fort Ontario in Oswego? Did you see any ghosts? If so, please share your experience with us below in the comments. We would love to hear about it!
